While
the attacks of September 11, 2001 focused many in the United States on
the dangers posed by non-state actors, challenges to state authority and
international order by such groups are not new. With the global
community now more aware of conflicts other than those between states,
there is a need to better understand approaches that do—or do not—work
when addressing non-state actors. Taking a wide view of what they see in
their respective work and an expansive definition of “non-state,”
experts in this report offer an array of recommendations, in many
instances based on working with or engaging nonstate groups.

Drawing
upon his experience in directly reaching out to armed non-state actors,
primarily but not exclusively around landmine research and
anti-landmine advocacy, Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan offers
advice to those who would approach such groups. Recognizing that there
is danger in doing so, but also a need from a humanitarian perspective,
he recommends being well aware of one’s own goals and the likely
expectations of any engaged group as just two of many steps in outreach
to non-state actors.

Noting the important achievements of the
Mine Ban Treaty, especially in the context of Colombia where former FARC
rebels are now engaging in mine clearance efforts, Maria Pia Devoto and Camilo Serna Villegas use
developments in the country as an example of how it is possible for
non-state perpetrators of armed violence to become agents of
reconciliation. After briefly describing a group of 20 former
combatants, now part of the “Humanicemos DH” effort, they argue that
this work could be a model for other non-state armed groups still in the
country.Matthew Bolton turns to another part
of the world to discuss the roots of increased armed violence in Kenya
by and against pastoral communities, initially around wildlife
“poaching” but now linked to regional and global networks. Drawing upon
insights from Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Academy meetings in the region and
other scholarship, he concludes that when agreed by Kenya and properly
implemented, the ATT could provide paths to improved community security,
in part through increased transparency and better risk assessment in
the arms trade.Wilder Alejandro Sanchez explores
the troubling reality that weapons used by armed non-state actors in
Latin America often come from the stockpiles of police or national armed
forces. While recognizing that there are other sources of weapons and
that there have been some successful cases of arms recovery, he argues
that much more can and should be done to stem this flow of weaponry.
Recommendations include tackling corruption more directly, possibly
through stronger training and stiffer legal penalties, and also better
sharing of records across jurisdictions.Seth Binder and Robert Watson tackle
the ongoing practice of U.S. arming of non-state actors, noting both
recent and historic examples. They argue that the lack of institutional
capacity of many non-state actors, as well as the long life of various
weapons, contributes to risk associated with such practices. They find
that despite claimed goals— often short-term ones—, U.S. aid to
non-state actors has typically not proven successful, resulting in
unintended consequences and long-term instability.Jeff Abramson turns
the issue around by looking for ways that civil society-led initiatives
have an impact upon non-state actors, whether armed or arms producing.
Using examples that broadly fall under the “humanitarian disarmament”
umbrella, he identifies efforts to convince armed non-state groups to
commit to the norms of the Mine Ban Treaty, actions to stop weapons
production by stigmatizing financial investment in their manufacturers,
and calls by scientists and artificial intelligence experts to prohibit
killer robots. He concludes that such efforts focused on human security
have a track record of success that merit ongoing support.Authorship Experts
listed by the Forum on the Arms Trade were invited to participate in
this publication, bringing in other colleagues if desired, to author
short essays about how their work provides insights into challenges
posed by non-state actors (broadly defined). Rather than create an
exhaustive report, the intention is to gather diverse perspectives from
those working on arms trade, security assistance, and weapons use, often
in different regions of the world and focused on distinct issues. Each
essay was reviewed by at least one peer, but each should be considered
the independent work of the author(s).

Inclusion on the Forum on
the Arms Trade expert list, and inclusion in this publication, does not
indicate agreement with or endorsement of the opinions of others.
Institutional affiliation of authors, when detailed, is indicated for
identification purposes only.